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painting of a green airplane with a skull on it flying in front of a moonan image of a drawing of a space station with a rocket on it
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173 - Albator, the Space Pirate – Captain Harlock (宇宙海賊キャプテンハーロック)…
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Estimate €400 - €600
Sale commission
Description
Albator, the Space Pirate – Captain Harlock (宇宙海賊キャプテンハーロック) Arcadia (spacecraft) Hand-painted celluloid sheet used in the production of the anime Captain Harlock, based on the work of Leiji Matsumoto (松本 零士). Executed in ink and gouache. Produced by Toei Animation 1978–1979, Japan H25.4 L30.5 cm This type of backdrop represents one of the fundamental visual contrasts in the world of Albator: the cold, organic vastness of space set against the geometric rigidity of human or enemy structures. The Arcadia sails through this landscape — an organically shaped vessel resembling a flying castle — amidst an environment of dead, tangled metal that epitomises precisely what Albator refuses to be: a machine amongst machines, a structure amongst structures. The space pirate traverses this mechanical world without blending into it. The original painted background here has the same documentary value as the celluloid of the ship itself. Depicting simultaneously the rocky, greyish texture of a lunar planet, the black depths of space, and the clarity of a network of orbital metal structures in gouache on a paper background — whilst maintaining consistent proportions so that the Arcadia remains clearly visible in the foreground — was one of the most demanding tasks for animation set designers during the Toei period of 1978–1979.
See original version (French)
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About the sale Knights, Armour and Samurai + Animation Art Selection
Auction location
Auction time 06/28/2026 at 3:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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